Over 3 days from the 12th July, the Royal Southern Yacht Club hosted the

X-Yachts Solent Cup, which included the inaugural X-35 UK nationals. Eight

boats took to the start line on the Thursday, in a westerly breeze of around

20kts. Sailing windward/leewards with a spreader leg and leeward gate, the

first race was won by Tim and Sophie Harrington's Vortex. Race two followed

shortly after with a win for David Pinner's Kiss, who made it back, just in time, after competing in the X-35 Worlds in Kiel.

 

Day two saw the breeze slightly further left, still in the 15-20kt wind range at about 200 degrees, racing was again set up on the Hill Head plateau.

Race three was won by Vortex with Peter Howland’s X-Dream scoring their 3rd

second place. Race four went to Kiss. Just after the start of race 5 the

wind shifted ninety degrees left as the south easterly sea breeze filled in, and PRO Tony Lovell called off the race and very quickly reset the course for race six, which went to Nigel Passmore's XWAVES as he successfully worked the left hand side of the beat and the same side on the run.

 

The final day saw four boats still being able to win the nationals.

XWAVES sailed an excellent race six, in short Solent chop and won her second

race. She then did the same in race seven. Going into the final race Kiss,

X-Dream and XWAVES could all still win the nationals. With six boats on

the spreader leg, and four or more boats rounding the leeward gate overlapped,

the one design X-35 produced some extremely close racing. In the final race

Kiss rounded the first windward mark in the lead followed by Ian Smyth's Jazz

II, X-Dream, then Vortex with XWAVES and Swallow moments behind. X-Dream's

dream of winning the regatta took a tumble when the top guard wire came undone

and two guys took a little dip. Kiss led up the last beat with XWAVES

crossing in third, leaving Kiss to be the first UK National Champion.

 

1st Kiss, David Pinner, 14

2nd XWAVES, Nigel Passmore, 17

3rd X-Dream, Peter Howland, 17